Judgement Day
by ADAMalchemist
Summary: "What the hell are we supposed to do? They're everywhere!" Zombies and Fullmetal Alchemist. It's a Left 4 Dead crossover. EdxRoy also. Story might be better then the summary since I suck at these. Don't know about Left 4 Dead? Don't worry. I'll provide information on certain things as they come up.
1. Party

**A/N: First off, I do not own Left 4 Dead or Fullmetal Alchemist. I wish I did, but I don't. Secondly, warnings. Warning for crappy writing, sexual content, offensive language, and maybe gore.**

* * *

Mornings were one of the worst times. Mainly because they were the loneliest times of his life.

Every morning, he woke up at five o'clock. Sharp. He would then treed down the stairs to start up a pot of coffee. While it brewed, the man would put in two pieces of bread into the toaster, putting it on two and a half minutes. Just enough time to get out the butter, butter knife, plate, and morning paper. Once he would come inside, the toast would have popped and his coffee done. Grabbing his favorite cup, which he washed every morning after breakfast, he poured the caffeinated beverage and placed the mug onto the table. By the time the toast was buttered, the coffee was just cool enough to drink.

Roy Mustang did this everyday. And always by himself.

Sure, he had friends. And, almost everyday after work, his childhood friend, Maes Hughes would ask him if he wanted to do something, find a girl at a local club, get a drink at the corner bar, or head down to the beach since it had been a hot summer. But Roy would always refuse. It wasn't that he didn't like people, it was just he didn't want to do anything.

All of this had started when the two had gotten back from the war in Iraq. When they came back, Hughes stayed the same as ever, flashing pictures of his wife and newborn daughter. But Roy had changed. He became colder, more distant.

But today was going to be different.

As Roy took a sip of his coffee, the doorbell rang. Before he could get up to answer it, though, Hughes walked in, all dressed up like a father on his way to a family vacation.

"Roy! Get dressed, you're going to the beach with us!" He said, taking the newspaper out of the other man's hands.

A sigh escaped his lips as he took the paper back, taking a bite into his toast. "Don't feel like going." He said.

The smile on Hughes' face slipped away as he sat across from his best friend. "Listen Roy, you've been stuck in here for months. It's almost been a year. Don't you think it's time to come out and you know…have a little fun?"

The black haired man shook his head as he continued to read his paper. Taking a sip of his coffee, he looked at the other with a dead panned expression. "I'm _not_ going."

Hughes smirked at his reply and stood up, grabbing Roy by the caller and dragging him back up the stairs. "To bad!"

* * *

The transition from the cool, air conditioned car to the hot, blazing heat from the sun was horrible.

Roy jumped slightly and felt almost sick to his stomach as his body tried it's best to adapt. Elicia, the Hughes' only daughter, ran out, seeming to adapt faster then the rest of them as she made her way to the beach. Gracia smiled at this and followed her, making sure she wasn't out of anyone's sight.

"This is what you need, Roy." Maes said, locking the car with a beach chair in hand. "A nice day out on the beach and later on, when Gracia and Elicia leave, a little party at the shack nearby."

Roy shrugged as he looked around, stepping onto the sand. It was bleaching hot as it slide in between his toes and created a wall between his feet and his sandals.

"I don't know, Hughes. I'm not really the partying type." He said, setting up his chair in the shade.

Hughes smiled, setting his chair right up next to him. "It's just one party. You haven't done anything fun in how long? It's about time to loosen up."

* * *

As the day grew shorter, it also became colder as well.

A nice, cool, simple breeze swept over him as he lay in his hammock, swinging back and forth slowly. His eyes were closed and pants rolled up to just under the knees. As the wind blew, he would smile softly at it's touch. Sometimes, it would even get to as big as a grin it the wind was large enough to blow his hair, tickling his nose.

"Brother."

The teen's younger brother said, his voice forcing his eyes open. The blonde looked at the brunette in a glaring fashion.

"Damn it, Alphonse. Let me sleep." He said, turning away from him.

Alphonse smiled at him and rolled up his sleeves. It was summer time but yet he still wore sweatshirts. Whenever he took one off, he felt somehow naked and exposed, two feelings he did not like. The most he would do is roll up his sleeves and pants. He took a soda from the cooler and popped it open, taking a sip of the ice cold beverage.

"Is that what you're going to ware to the party? Really?" He asked, looking his elder brother over.

The blonde wore a simple red tank top and blue jeans, cheap black flip flops on his feet. He nodded, sitting up. "Yeah, why?"

Al shook his head. "Well, Ed, you should at least put on a t-shirt or something."

Edward smirked, standing up to get himself his own soda. "I'm not like you, Al. I don't like being covered head to toe in thick ass cotton."

The younger of the two chuckled as he pulled out the coals to put in the nearby barbeque. The older one followed by taking out the hot dogs. "Besides, why do you worry so much about how I dress?"

"Because, Brother, there's going to be alcohol at the party and I know you'll have some. And once you do, you'll have more. You'll be partying like crazy and you'll be trying to get into guy's pants without even knowing it." Al was the only one who knew about Ed's sexuality. He didn't dare tell his mother or father, they wouldn't understand. The blonde was waiting until he moved out to tell them so he wouldn't have to go home everyday to have to explain it to them.

Ed sighed as he opened the hot dogs. "I'm not going to get drunk, would you stop worrying, mother dear."

Al chuckled at the comment, starting the fire. "I'll be watching, Edward. Like a ninja."

* * *

The music blasted, echoing throughout the beach, and maybe into the ocean. Everyone hooted and hollered as they drank and danced, acting as if the night would end in less then an hour.

Edward stood there, a half empty bottle in his hand. It was his third and his mind was already beginning to fog. But right away, it cleared up yet again as a taller man with night black hair made his way toward the teen. Ed quickly chugged the drink and put the bottle down on the seat next to him. By the time he looked back up, the mysterious man was standing there, holding his own bottle.

"Aren't you a little _young_ to be drinking?" He asked.

Ed scuffed and looked away. "What's it to you? Are you police or something?" He asked, looking at his feet now.

"Actually," He said. "US Army."

The young blonde's eyes went wide as he looked back up at the half drunk man. "Please don't arrest me."

The man laughed and patted the teen's head. "I'm not going to. It's a party. We're supposed to be having fun, right? Just promise me you won't get drunk."

Ed couldn't take his eyes away from the tall stranger, staring into his onyx eyes was like heaven on Earth. He slowly nodded in reply. The man put out his hand with a smile. "My name is Roy. What's yours?"

"Ed. Edward Elric." He said, shaking Roy's hand as he answered.

Roy nodded, a drunk smile crossing his face. He was fully aware of what was going on around him but his body didn't seem to want to listen to his whim. Without meaning to, he leaned forward onto the young teen who caught him and held him up. He scuffed at the smell of whisky and beer on his breath.

"Gross…" He mumbled, carrying the man to his hammock.

As he tried to lay Roy down, screaming echoed throughout the beach. Ed ignored it, thinking that it was just some party goers getting a little to high for their own heads. Roy, on the other hand, sat up at the sound, looking utterly scared and shocked. "Hughes?" He asked.

The blonde shook his head. "No. _Ed._ Your friend must be out somewhere getting drunk."

As soon as those words passed his lips, Roy's soft, friendly look turned into that of a criminal. He glared at the teen and when he talked, venom dripped from his teeth. "Don't you _dare_ talk about him like that."

Ed jumped at the sight of his face and the sound of his voice as if the man had turned into a bear.

Both of them turned toward to the direction of the party as more and more people screamed. And it wasn't a scream of joy or of fandom. No, this scream that came from the middle of the beach was that of horror, pure fear. Roy stood up, looking everything over.

"What the hell…?" he mumbled as partiers ran away from the music, blood covering the front of them.

The younger of the two stood up, almost wanting to run himself but his body was frozen stiff. As they stood together, more and more people ran toward them, trying to get away. And as more of them came, the two finally found out what they were all afraid about. Not to far away from where they stood, a woman jumped onto a man's back, digging her teeth into his shoulder and ripping out a chunk of flesh. The man screamed in pain and horror as he fell to the ground.

Roy's eyes went wide at the sight and grabbed his partner's hand, running as fast as he could to the nearest building.

"What's going on!? What happened back there?!" Ed screamed in horror.

The taller man did not answer for he, too, was trying to process the events of what was happening in front of his own eyes.

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**A/N: Umm...review?  
**


	2. Flesh Eaters

**A/N: Warning for crappy writing and simple gore.**

* * *

The more they ran, the less screams he heard. His bare feet began to bleed, his flip flops long lost and perhaps miles away. The only thing he really heard was the blood rushing through his ears. He could no longer feel his legs, but he didn't care. All he knew was that he needed to run. He needed to run and cling to the taller man's hand for dear life. Soon, they stopped. The blonde teen looked up at his partner, the look of pure horror plastered on his face.

"What are you doing?" He asked. "We need to keep running! They'll get us!"

Roy shook his head as he started picking things up off the ground such as stones, sticks, pieces of glass. "We need to arm ourselves." He slurred, not fully sober yet.

As Ed watched the black haired man gather things to use as weapons, a thought that should have come long ago crossed his mind. "My brother…" He mumbled and began running away.

When Roy looked up, the boy was almost out of his sight, making his way back to the beach. "KID!" He screamed and ran after him.

Edward ran as fast as he could, his legs beginning to give way. And once they did, he fell to the ground, hard, landing on his face. Quickly, he sat up and looked toward the beach, looking for any sign of his younger brother. Sadly, the only thing he saw was more of those things walking toward him, their eyes glazed over.

"ALPHONSE!" He called out, hoping his voice would reach him. But all it did was attract more of the flesh eaters.

He stared at them, his eyes becoming wide as they got closer. His body was stiff once again as one, a female, got closer, and closer. She opened her mouth, a slight hiss coming from the back of her throat. And, when he blinked, she was gone. Until he heard the hissing again, this time coming from the ground. Looking down, he saw a brick stuck to the side of her face.

"Get up, kid!"

Ed turned around to see his companion, Roy, throwing as many bricks as he had at the freaks. When he saw that the teen was not obeying his commands, he grabbed him by the back of the tank top, began dragging him out of the infested zone, and into a small changing hut nearby. Once inside, the two sat there, Roy out of breath and Ed in almost complete shock. He stood up, only to be pulled back down.

"B-but my brother! I need to go help hi-"

"When we see him, we'll see him. For now, we stay in here." Roy said, his eyes just as deadly as before as he stared at the teen.

The young blonde glared at him as well then turned his attention to the door, almost praying for his brother's voice to ask for him to open it.

* * *

The sound of birds was the first thing he heard.

He slowly opened his eyes and stared at the floor, trying to wake up as much as he could. Most of last night was a blur but what he did remember made him shudder ever so slightly. Putting his hand through his hair, he sighed. As he did so, he heard a slight groan and something move on his shoulder. Looking down, he saw the teen he had saved the night before. He stared at him for about a minute, looking him over for bite marks or any other signs of the flesh eaters getting to him. The only thing he saw that slightly made him wince was the boy's feet. They were crusted over with dried blood, mud, and sand. Slowly, he picked the blonde's head up and placed it back down on the changing hut's wooden floor. When his head was placed down, Roy stood up and slowly walked out, hoping that the flesh eaters wouldn't hear.

Walking around, he held his stomach and tried his best not to throw up at the smell of it all. Laying all over the sandy road were the bodies of the partiers from the night before, their insides sprawled everywhere. But, the sight didn't bother Colonel Mustang at all. After all, he had been to Iraq, he had been to war. He had killed many in the middle eastern country. The only thing that could bother him now was the smell of the rotting flesh and organs.

Upon walking around, he finally found what he was looking for. Hung on a telephone line was a pair of brown shoes. Roy took out a brick and threw it up, hitting one of the shoes just enough to make the pair fall. He smiled as he picked them up, running as fast as he could back to the changing hut. As he walked in, he noticed that the teen was still asleep and sat back down, waiting for him to wake up. And slowly, his eyes began to open. He sat up and looked around, almost confused.

"Wha…?" He asked, scratching his head.

"Good morning, sleeping shrimp." Roy said, staring at him.

Edward jumped and glared at the man, screaming as he kicked him in the side. Roy was hardly paying attentions and only caught a few words about him not being short and how much of a bastard he was. He smirked and handed the blonde the pair of shoes.

"Here. You're gonna need these." He said.

He nodded and looked down at his feet, hissing at the sight. "That's…just great…" He said, scrapping off the dried gunk.

Roy pulled his hand away, staring at him in the eyes. "Don't do that. It'll only make it worse. And trust me, you don't want to have an open wound during this."

Ed stared at him for a minute then looked back at his feet, putting his shoes on normally. "What is this anyway? I mean, what we saw last night, was that for real? Are people really eating people outside?" So many questions were rolling around in his head, he couldn't seem to control his lips.

The taller of the two shook his head. "I didn't see any of those…_things_ out there when I went to go get those. But that doesn't mean they aren't still out there." Ed looked at him once more in a concerning manner. "You need to be on your guard and be prepared for anything."

The look on his face turned from concerning to fallen in mere seconds as he looked back down at his shoes, tying them up. He stood up and grabbed an oar that sat in the corner and nodded. "How bad could this be?"

Edward had no idea what exactly was going on out there. But when he stepped out of the changing hut, he began to have one. His stomach turned at the sight of the bodies laying around. And as the smell entered his nose, he could feel the vomit rise up into his throat. He turned around and released the bile, Roy patting his back. When he was done, he turned back around to see one of the flesh eaters hovering over the body of what once was a beautiful model. He jumped at the sight, the ore in his hands almost dropping. Roy sighed, pulling out his pocket knife and casually walking over to the unmentionable creature.

"Roy, what the hell are you doing?!" Ed screamed, walking toward him.

Roy looked at him. "Shut up and stay still." He ordered and turned back to the cannibal.

Blood coated his mouth, face, and torso, his eyes glowing it seemed as he looked up at the colonel. Roy glared at the monster, taking his knife and putting it over his head as the creature stood, advancing toward him. In one swift motion, he slit his throat and stabbed him in the forehead, more blood spilling over the monster's stained clothes. Once the flesh eater was down, Roy picked up his knife. The sound it made when he pulled it out reminded Ed of the horror movies he and his younger brother used to watch. Silently, he escaped into his own world as he watched Roy, going back into the good days when he and his brother would sneak out at night to go visit their friend Ling in their old tree house. Ling would obsess over silly comic books, always warning the brothers about the dead coming back to life and the end of the world. And as Ed came back to reality, he mentally laughed at himself for not believing his oriental friend. For, it seemed, what Ling had warned them all those years back was finally here.

"It's the end of the world…"

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**A/N: Yeah...this isn't my best chapter...but thank you for your time anyway. I promise for something better soon. -ADAM**


	3. Worried

**A/N: The bottom notes have information. Warning for crappy writing.**

* * *

Two weeks after first infection…

The parking lot was just about empty, save for a few vacant cars. Not a single sound showing life was heard and the wind blew slightly. It was a nice, cool breeze that felt good on his sweaty skin. And as soon as the wind stopped, he groaned with displeasure. Today seemed to be the hottest day of the summer. Just stepping outside for a minute would make you sweat more pounds then you could lose in a gym.

"Oh, quit your whining." His companion said, rolling his eyes.

The blonde shrugged and continued walking across the parking lot. Even though it had been two weeks, it was still strange to see a city so bare.

The sign on the building read Androscoggin Bank Colisée, the American, Canadian, and Maine flags hung out front. Ed remembered this. This is where every year during the winter, the elementary schools would all gather up here and learn how to ice skate. He never got the hang of the sport but he always tried. Looking at it now, he almost wished he could travel back to the third grade.

The two made their way up one set of stairs, heading into the back parking lot. Sleeping bags lay sprawled everywhere, bodies stacked in piles. Edward looked away from them, breathing through his mouth. Roy looked around, making sure that none of the undead were mixed with the real ones. And as he walked, he smelt something. He stopped in his tracks, a look of confusion on his face. The younger one turned to him.

"What is it?" He asked.

Roy shook his head. "I don't know…" He mumbled, taking another whiff of the atmosphere.

The once fresh air had been replaced with the smell of rotten eggs salad, molded over feet, and uncleaned public bathrooms. He right away began coughing at the horrid aroma, backing up to go back down the stairs. Ed stared at him, unmoving until he took in a deep breath through his nose as well. He swore loudly, backing up toward the older man. As they began making their way toward the stairs they had just climbed up, the sound of burping and a gurgling stomach echoed into their ears. And as the sound got louder, the ground around them began to shake. They turned their full attention toward the stairs, revealing a rather large creature. He was large in size and, to Edward, large in height as well. His stomach was extended, boils and grotesque growths scattered all over it. Green bile began to crust all over him. Even for his large size, he still was fast. Growling lowly and loudly, he made his way to the two.

"What _is_ that thing?!" Edward screamed, not moving as he stared at the roly poly.

"Let's not find out!" Roy screamed back and grabbed the back of the teen's shirt, running off with him.

As they ran, the ground began to shake even more. Turning around, the blonde saw that the whaleish creature was not to far behind. He gripped his gun firmly in his hands, shooting the zombie right in a growth. And when the bullets hit, the whole half of him exploded, his lower half taking two steps before it fell over. The fumes they had been smelling entered their noses once more, making even Roy regurgitate. Once they gas was out of their sinuses, they sat down, trying to take in fresh air. Ed took out a small book and pen, silently looking at the corpse he had just made and then snapped, a smile on his face as he wrote.

"What are you doing?" Roy asked, staring at his young companion.

Edward did not look up from his book as he wrote. "Naming it. I think I'll call those kind….Boomers." He said, slipping the book and pen back into his pocket.

Roy chuckled at the name as they stood up. "Boomer?"

The blonde nodded. "Because he exploded in a boom like manner." He said and began walking off, gun in hand.

The 25 year old man smiled as he walked with the teen. He found it almost amazing how during all of this, Ed still seemed to find a joke in everything. The younger of the two always made it know how much of a child he truly was every time they encountered a flesh eater. He would taunt it, make fun of it. How ugly it was, how it was dead and he was alive. He always found something in each zombie to make fun of about. And once the comment passed through his lips, a horde of them would charge toward him. Every once and a while, Roy would have to save him from being bitten, throwing him into closets so the infected wouldn't get anywhere near him.

This thought made the man sigh, his smile disappearing as he lead his partner out of the parking lot.

* * *

Little to no moon light seeped through the planks covering the windows. For the most part, the room was well lit up from what did get in.

The door was planked as well, the blonde 19 year old's head leaning against it as he felt sleep being to creep over him. His gun was cocked and ready to shoot at any time. He looked over at the other man sleeping soundly on the only bed in the room. After seeing how tired he was, Ed let him be the first to sleep. But, as the night went on, he felt his eyes drop every once and a while, almost forcing him to sleep. Of course, right away, he would shake himself awake. Once he did, he would stand up and pace the floors in thought.

Was his brother alright? Was he still…alive? The thoughts about Al made his heart stop and sink into his stomach only to rise again into his throat. He stopped in the middle of the room, tears stinging his eyes. Ed tried to blink them away but it only made them worse, forcing them down his cheeks. He fell to his knees and silently sobbed, holding his side as he did so.

A slight sniffle escaped from his thin frame and entered the ears of the sleeping man. As he continued to sniffle and make slight noises, Roy sat up, looking over at the seemingly defeated teen. He sighed and patted his shoulder, his face showing he knew what he was going through. Ed looked up at the taller man, whipping his tears away.

"Ed, maybe you should sleep now." He said, standing up and taking his gun.

Edward nodded and laid back down, closing his eyes and falling right to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: I know, Not a big chapter. The next ones will be bigger. I've just been getting sicker and I haven't been thinking straight. Also, the Androscoggin Bank Colisée does in fact exist. **** wiki/Androscoggin_Bank_Colis%C3%A9e**** It's an ice rink/civic center in the town I grew up in. At the moment, the two are in the lovely state of Maine, heading south. Also, I did not create the lovely zombie that is the Boomer. **** wiki/The_Boomer**** He is a special infected zombie from the valvE video game series known as Left 4 Dead. This fanfic is actually a crossover but I did not put it in that section so that more people would end up reading it. In the first chapter, I had already said that I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist OR Left 4 Dead. The only things from the video game that will appear are the zombies. **

**Let's hope that I am better in the morning. Goodnight all and thank you for your time. - ADAM**


	4. Brotherly Promise

**A/N: I'm getting really better now. Hopefully, I'll post Chapter 5 up today too. I hope you like it! Warning for crappy writing.**

* * *

It was hard now to imagine what might have gone on in this side of town.

Banners lay all torn up and worn out on the streets, the remains of popped balloons hung off hot dog stands, masks in all colors and sizes sat in corners of the streets. The signs that were still intact said 'Annual Balloon Festival' with dates at the bottom of the large, red words. Old torn up hot air balloons over flowed and fell off rooftops, their baskets on the side walks.

"Balloon festival?" Roy asked, reading the signs as he walked with his rather short companion who simply nodded at the question, a smile on his face.

"Once a year, they send hot air balloons up and have a carnival." Ed explained, pointing out the rides that stood not so far away.

The taller man nodded and looked around, trying his hardest to imagine small children running around with painted faces and dripping ice cream in their hands. The blonde didn't need to work so much to imagine what it would have looked like for this was his home town. Every year, him and his brother would get their faces painted and run around with their parents, going on rides, getting cotton candy, and playing sideshow games. He would always get the tiger face paint while little Alphonse got a simple cat, a pink nose and black whiskers. The two would always go on the same rides because, chances were, one of them wanted to go on it but the other would be scared of it. Ed's favorite was the tilt-o-whirl. His father would go on it with him and together they would push the thing from side to side, trying their darndest to make it spin as fast as it could. This one Al would never go on. Not because he was scared, of course not. The tilt-o-whirl was the smallest ride at the whole carnival. No, he didn't go on it because this one ride was his brother's and father's ride. Just like how their father or mother wouldn't dream about climbing onto the bumper cars. Oh heavens, no. That, that was a special time for just Ed and Al. Every time they went on, Al would try to hit Ed and Ed would try to hit Al so hard that he would almost fall out. At the end of each turn, they would try their hardest to park the little cars just right so it looked like they had their licenses. Other times, Ed would try to park his at an angle so as soon as he started it up, it would hit Al straight on.

The blonde sighed at the memories as they made their way into the carnival. Roy looked down at him and for a minute almost asked what was wrong. But as soon as the words began dancing on the tip of his tongue, he pushed them back, looking away. This was no time for them to be emotional. They needed to keep their heads, look forward, and keep going.

"So, kid, what's your brother's name?" He asked, looking over a cotton candy stand to see if any other types of food was hidden.

Ed watched him from not to far away. "Alphonse. I call him Al, though." As the words left his lips, he slowly looked over at the run down bumper cars.

Roy noticed this movement and sighed slightly, coming out of the stand and patting him on the head, causing the teen to look up at him in confusion. "We'll find him. If he's anything like you, I'm sure he'll be alright."

As the words passed the older man's lips and entered the blonde's ears, Ed felt a sense of safety and relief, like everything was going to be okay after all. The feeling left as fast as it came as another sound passed his ear drums and made his brain shudder. A familiar hissing sound came from the bumper cars but something seemed to be added to it. Almost as if something was melting. And when the two looked over, they saw something new, something they hadn't yet seem before.

A woman with pig tails stood, staring at them, her mouth open wide. Her neck was as long as her arms, her lower jaw going about half way down. She seemed to hunch over as she spat a thick green line of liquid at them. Edward jumped back as it landed and began to pool on the ground in front of them. The green substance seemed to bubble and burn everything that was near it, like acid. A drop of it seemed to get caught on the tip of Ed's shoe, burning a small hole into the brown fake leather. Right away, he stood back up and began shooting the woman. Once the woman was down, the two made their way toward her, the green liquid going away. Roy stared at the woman and took in the sight slowly. Bite marks from other undead creatures planted themselves on her collar bone, her bra sagging down over her stomach which extended slightly, creating a muffin top over her pants. Ed coughed and looked away, starting to walk over to a small game shack.

"The store isn't to far from here. Let's keep going." He said, pulling out his book and pen, writing down the new zombie for his list.

Roy smiled and walked over, looking at the list as well. "What are you going to name this one?" He asked.

"Spitter. Because she spits." He said, almost laughing at himself.

The taller man laughed at the name and patted the teen's head. "Aren't you original. You sure know how to come up with names."

Edward chuckled, slipping the book and pen back into his front pocket. "Why thank you. It's always been a talent of mine. When I was little, I had a dog and I named him. You'll never guess the name."

Roy thought for a minute and smiled. "Puppy." He answered.

The blonde shook his head. "Nope. Named him Kitten." Roy raised his eyebrow at the grinning teen and chuckled patting his back.

"Alright, _Kitten_, let's get back on the road." He said and walked off.

* * *

At one time, the hotel could have been a wonderful place for people to vacation and stay for as long as they wanted. Ed remembered how people would have very expensive weddings here, even sometimes comic book conventions. But now, it looked like it had housed war victims. Sleeping bags everywhere, bodies sat in chairs. Bags and bags of biological waste gathered dust in the corners of each room.

"Well, home sweet home." Roy said, heading over to the stairs. "At least, for tonight."

Ed nodded and followed the older man, climbing up the stairs with him. The smell of the rotting bodies didn't seem to bother him at all. After all, he was covered in the smell, his maroon shirt, face, and whole body was splattered with dried, crusting blood. He sighed as his long hair fell into his face.

"Do you think that this place has a shower? I really need one." He said, looking his hair over. Usually, when he washed it, it came out silky smooth. Sometimes, after coming out of the shower, he would sit there and pet his hair until the oils from his fingers made it greasy once more.

Roy shrugged. "I don't know, kid. Hopefully there is."

After another flight of stairs, the two stopped, heading out into the hallway containing all of the rooms. Roy smirked as he began to pick the lock of a set of doors. Nothing seemed special about it at first to Ed until he saw the sign on the wall. Presidential Suite. The best room in the whole hotel was theirs. As the lock finally came undone, Roy opened up the twin doors to reveal a small living room. Everything seemed to be working fine, lights were on, TV was on, everything seemed to be on. Ed's jaw dropped as he looked around, amazed that a hotel room could be this big. It was like a small apartment, a kitchen to their left and bedrooms to their right.

"I call master bed!" He said, running to the master bedroom.

Roy chuckled at the sight and made his way to the kitchen, making sure none of those cannibalish creatures housed themselves in the suite. But, it seemed like the place was untouched, a safe haven in this awful war. Letting out a sigh of relief, the man walked over to the refrigerator and was surprised to see that there was food in there. It was enough to make at least one more meal with for two. He left to go lock and barricade the doors but came back as fast as he could to start cooking a fabulous dinner.

* * *

His clothes seemed to have melted in with his skin as he tried to take them off. Certain patches of his skin seemed to have crusted bile and blood, making his skin rough. He winced at the sight of just his bare chest as he began to take off his pants and shoes. The bathroom smelt like it was just bleached the other day and it showed. It's sinks were sparkling white, soaps and shampoos sat in containers on the counter, and the toilet was almost brand new. The water poured down when he turned the handle and a sense of overwhelming joy flooded him. Fresh, hot water. As soon as his dirt coated hand met the wonderful liquid, he almost began to cry out of happiness. Right away, Ed jumped in, a bar of soap in one hand, shampoo in the other. The soap smelt of lavender and the shampoo, vanilla. As he washed himself, he took in the scent as an old, welcomed guest. Slowly, the blood, dirt, and bile began to wash away with his thoughts. And for a moment, he forgot everything.

He forgot where he was.

He forgot the war of undead verses the living outside.

He forgot about his parents.

He even forgot about Alphonse.

And when the water stopped and he climbed out, it almost scared him how much he had forgotten. Right away, he plugged the tub and began to fill it with hot water. When it was filled enough, he dunked his clothes in, taking the bar of soap, he scrubbed every piece of his clothes hard, almost as if he was angry.

* * *

Roy sighed happily as he began to dry his hair, wearing only his shorts. After dinner, he too took a shower and understood why Ed came out with such a cheerful look. It was almost as if the shower contained healing water from heaven. He smirked as he saw the teen on the balcony, shooting zombies down bellow.

"Oi! Fatass! Up here you dumb shit!"

_Bang!_

The older man came out with his own gun and sat beside the blonde, looking down at the horrible world.

"How many points do you have?" He asked, putting shells into his shot gun.

Ed smiled, aiming for another flesh eater. "Twenty-four. Specials count as ten each." He said and took a shot, smirking as he put the gun down and turned to Roy. "Thirty-four."

Roy chuckled and shot the gross Spitter bellow who tried her hardest to make her acid reach them. "Ten." He said.

He smiled at his taller companion and looked down, scanning the small horde. Everything was silent between them and almost tense before he spoke once more. "So…you think Al is alive somewhere?"

The black haired man stared at him then scanned the horde as well, looking for signs of a blonde with similar features to the teen. "More then likely."

Ed nodded, looking down at his hands as he fiddled with his nails. "I hope so…"

Roy sighed mentally when no signs of a blonde showed up and turned to the one next to him. "You and your brother must be really close. Are you twins _or_…?"

The teen shook his head, a smile on his face. "No, but people swear we are. He looks so much like me." A silence between them grew as well as tension. After a minute or so, he broke the silence once more. "When we were little, we had this friend named Ling. He was from China and always got sent these weird comic books from there. They all had to do with zombies. It was always, '_be careful! People are coming back from the dead!_' with him.

"One night, Al got scared and started crying because he was afraid that the zombies were gonna get him. I promised I would protect him with my life. I told him that they weren't real, that they weren't going to get him. I hope he really is okay…"

Roy stared at him, his face held no emotion. He looked back out over the town and put his arm around the smaller one's shoulders, trying his hardest to comfort him.

"I do too, kid. I do, too…"

* * *

**A/N: The Spitter is an awful creature from the wonderful game Left 4 Dead 2.  wiki/The_Spitter There she is. The Balloon Festival happens in my home town once a year during August and it's just people gathering together having fun at a carnival, riding hot air balloons and winning prizes. When me and my little sister were little, I would get Tiger face paint while she, like Al, got regular cat face paint. And we too loved the bumper cars. So, um, review? And thank you for your time. - ADAM  
**


	5. Sorry

**A/N: I've never been so nervous to post a chapter before. Welp, here we go. Warning for crappy writing and mentions of sexual content. **

* * *

The moon shined slightly in through the window of the bedroom, lighting up most of the room. The room, itself, was about as big as a small bedroom. A desk sat bellow the window, simple things concerning room service and escape routes in a folder upon it. The bed was no bigger then a queen but it wasn't as small as a twin. If he could, Roy could fit both him and Ed in that bed. But, sadly, the teen wished to sleep in a different room. Roy sighed as he stared at the ceiling, listening closely for any hissing sounds, screams, or the floor boards creaking. Having Ed sleep in a different room did, in fact, make Roy scared. He cared for the kid and if anything were to happen to him, Roy honestly thought he wouldn't make it through.

At first, he found the blonde rather annoying, always screaming and bouncing around. He acted as if he were a child once more. Roy couldn't count on his hands how many times he had told the teen to stop, to act his age, to focus on the task at hand. But, he couldn't count on his hands how many times this child had saved his life, made him smile, made him laugh during this terrible time in history. Roy couldn't let those…those _things_ get to Ed.

_CRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKK…_

The door slowly opened, making the black haired man jump and reach for his gun. The moon shined slightly onto the figure in the doorway, it's eyes glistened a marvelous gold, it's hair long and streaming down it's chest and back, almost like a waterfall. Roy sighed, putting his gun down.

"Ed, what are you doing up?" He asked, looking the child over. It seemed both he and the teen had the same idea to just ware their shirts and boxers to bed, seeing as the place was well barricaded.

"Can I…sleep with you?" He asked, turning his attention to his fingers.

Roy stared at him and for a moment realized, during the day, this nineteen year old was fearless and laughed at anything that came at him. But by night, he was what everyone else was during all of this. A scared child.

He smiled and moved to the side, letting him in. "Of course." He said, staring at Ed as he made his way over to the bed, curling up under the blankets.

Instinctively, Roy put his arm over him, staring at the doorway to make sure nothing was there. He listened closely to every breath the building took till he was satisfied. And when he closed his eyes, he heard it. It was soft but it was still breathing. He looked at the doorway again but nothing was there. The breathing was coming from underneath him. Looking down, he stared at the blonde in his arms. He watched as his chest slowly rose and fell, his lips parted ever so slightly to let air softly escape. Roy had always seen Ed's hair and skin dirty and full of blood, but, as he looked at him now, it was hard not to stroke his cheek and pet his flowing locks. His skin had a light scent of lavender, his hair, vanilla. Slowly, Roy got closer and closer to him and, before he knew it, his face was just an inch apart from the teen's. The smell of his breath was that of fresh mint, his teeth slightly sparkling from being brushed before bed. Roy's hand traveled from the blonde's hair down to his shoulder where it rested for a while before he began examining his arm and side. It showed on his body that they hardly ever ate, he was skinny beyond belief. He looked back at the teen's face and stared for what seemed like years until, finally, he leaned forward and placed his lips upon Ed's as soft as he could. As he let go, he looked down at him once more to see him staring at him as well.

"Roy…?" Ed whispered.

Roy ignored the small sound and leaned forward again, but was stopped by the smaller one's arm.

"W-wait…what are you doing…?" He asked, a blush dancing on his cheeks.

"What's the matter?" Roy asked.

Ed looked away, not wanting to look in his eyes. Truth was, he felt the same way about the taller man. He honestly wanted this. But, something in his head told him to stop. As he searched all the reasons why they shouldn't, he felt a strong hand take his jaw, turning his head to face him.

"Ed, do you want this? Am I forcing you?" The twenty five year old man asked.

The teen nodded and bit his lip, trying to think of why his brain said no. "I do, bu-" Before he could finish his sentence, Roy placed his lips upon Ed's. As they sat there and held the sweet, soft kiss, Edward's thoughts all washed away to nothing. Now, he was just feeling. Feeling Roy's leg swing over his body so that he was on top, a hand on his cheek. When the kiss was let go, Ed examined the other's body. His own hands began traveling up his shirt as he took it off, the muscles underneath firm under his touch. He felt his eyes begin to close as the man leaned down and kissed him once more, only more passionate this time around. And slowly, his mind began to fade.

* * *

His sense of smell came first as he slowly woke up. It entered his nose and seemed to punch everything else awake. The smell of rotting flesh entered first, mixed with iron. When his hearing came to, the sound of low growling and heavy breathing swam into his ears. A warm breath went down his neck and made him shudder. When Ed finally opened his eyes, he screamed at the sight. A type of zombie he had called the Hunter was standing there, staring down at him. He pushed the monster away and grabbed his gun, turning to shoot the creature. It wore a hoodie sweatshirt, tape tying down the arms. It's sweat pants also had tape to hold down the legs. The hood was off which was strange. Hunters never took their hoods off. And when the creature turned to face Edward, he felt the color drip from his face.

"Alphonse…?"

Roy, by now, was pointing his gun at the flesh eater as well and looked at the blonde with confusion. "What…?" He whispered.

Slowly putting the gun down, the teen made his way toward the Hunter. Toward his brother. Tears stung his eyes as he stared at him, his hand going to his cheek.

"Oh, Al, what happened to you…?"

The monster glared at Ed, growling and getting into the position to attack. But, the smaller one did not notice. All he could think was that he found him, he found Al and everything was going to be okay. Just before Alphonse pounced though, Roy shot him, dead center of his torso. Ed turned to him, glaring and pointing his gun at him.

"What are you doing!?" He screamed. "That's my brother! Why would you do that?!"

Roy walked up to him. "Ed," He said. "look at him. He's one of them now."

And slowly, he did. He looked him up and down, left and right. But even after seeing, Ed still couldn't believe that his little brother, the freak that wore sweatshirts in the summer, the sweet gentlemen would have become a zombie. He let the tears fall down as he stared at the Hunter, gasping as he lay on the ground, still undead. Ed shook his head.

"No. N-no he…he couldn't…h-he was just playing, Roy. H-he's not…" Roy silently put his arm around the bubbling teen and looked down at him sadly.

"Do you want me to do it…or do you want to do it?"

This was one question Edward had hoped he would never hear. But he sniffled and tried his hardest to collect himself. He nodded and when he spoke, his voice was horse. "I will…"

He quietly as he could, he put the gun up to Alphonse's head, staring into his dug in eyes. The younger teen looked up at him almost pleadingly, as if he was still alive and begged him not to. The tears blurred Ed's vision, his body shaking, his heart sinking.

"I'm sorry, Al…"

And he pulled the trigger.

* * *

_"Ling really scares me, Brother…"_

_The night was cold and the air was fresh as the two young brothers had started their trek home. They had snuck out to visit the elder brother, Edward's friend, Ling Yao. That night, the child had gotten a new comic book all the way from China, a horror comic book. And all night, both Ling and Ed blabbed about the birth of the undead, what they would do in such an event, and if it would actually happen. The whole time, Alphonse sat in the corner and imagined it all._

_Edward chuckled slightly. "Why? Because he's a freak?"_

_Al shook his head, looking down at his small hands. "Because I don't like the things he talks about. I don't want zombies to come and eat my brains…"_

_The five year old looked down at his younger brother as he put his hands on his head, almost seeming to protect what was inside. He simply smiled and patted his head. "Don't worry, Al. If zombies ever happen, I'll beat 'em! And there is no way they'll ever get near you!"_

_The smaller brunette looked up at him, tears already coming down his eyes. "Promise I won't get infected?" He asked._

_The blonde nodded, a grin on his face._

_"I promise."_

* * *

**A/N: **** wiki/The_Hunter**** A Hunter belongs to the video game Left 4 Dead and not to me. Umm...Review? Thank you for your time. - ADAM**


	6. Unexpected Injury

**A/N: Sorry it took so long. I couldn't remember which document I had saved this on but I found it and finished it. Warning for crappy writing.**

* * *

The days became even more unbearable.

After that night, every time Edward shot or hit a zombie, it only reminded him of his promise. It only reminded him of the look in his brother's seemingly lifeless eyes as he delivered the final blow. To others, doing this was fine. After all, you were surviving. But to the young blonde, he felt as if he was ending lives for his own. He knew that what they were doing was murder, but he never once said a word of his thoughts to his partner.

His partner, Roy, on the other hand, began to think that maybe the flash eaters had indeed bitten him. During the day, it was hard for the man to tell the difference. The poor teen looked as if he was ready to give himself up at any moment. And, a few times, he has caught him trying to do so. Roy had tried his hardest to make Ed see things differently, to show him that he was here for a higher meaning than protecting his younger brother. But whenever the words passed the man's lips, the blonde would scream and cry about how there was no way there could be a higher meaning. That there was no God. And, looking upon the world now, even the most strict of believers would start to doubt.

The more they went down south, the more disgusting creatures became, and the hotter it got. Even though October had started, it was still as warm as July during the day. At night, The change into the winter months started to show. And Roy dreaded it. Especially since the two were in the middle of nowhere. Edward began to shake from the cold, getting closer and closer to his partner with every step. The man sighed and looked over to see a small rest stop. He put his arm around the teen's shoulders and began walking up with him, trying to keep him as warm as possible.

"Just a little farther, Ed." He said. "I'm sure it's warm in there."

The blonde simply nodded in reply, hoping that Roy was right. And when they walked in, hand in hand, they were delighted to see a small fire in the middle of the food court like rest stop, almost calling them over. Ed smiled at the sight and quickly ran over, not even thinking about the flesh eaters that might be around. Roy ran after him, looking around for any signs of other life in the building. When not one was given, he sighed, putting his gun down next to his companion as he rubbed his hands together, trying to warm his body.

"I-I wish there was more." He stuttered.

Roy nodded, looking around as he sat to see if there was anything they could burn that wasn't being used to block the entrances. "I know…" He muttered, holding Ed as close as he could, trying to warm him.

Ed looked up at him and smiled, leaning into him. "Thanks." He whispered.

To the teen, his companion seemed to be a walking, talking heater. No matter how cold it seemed to get, Roy Mustang seemed to be warmer then the fire in front of them. He smiled as he felt the man's strong hands hold him close, one of his thumbs rubbing his shoulder reassuringly. Even though he had been a mess since that night, something about the man seemed to make him forget the world around him. When he felt him stand up, his heart jumped and his mind raced into reality.

"I'll go get us something to eat. I'll be right back, okay?" He said, pecking him on the top of the head with his lips.

He smiled and nodded, looking back at the fire. Slowly, without meaning to, his eyes began to shut, his soul flowing into a deep sleep. When Roy came back, he smiled at the sight of the small blonde and grabbed seat cushions off the chairs, placing them down as pillows. After ripping down the flag that waved outside, he laid Ed down properly and covered him up, laying next to him. Even though the smell of corpses lingered all over his lover, he still held him tight.

Nothing was going to get to him.

* * *

The horrible sound seeped into his ears and mashed on it's drums, waking him up. At first, he thought that the awful wailing was coming from the teen in his arms. But when he looked down, he noticed that Ed was still fast asleep.

The crying continued and when Roy sat up to see where the owner was, he was almost astounded. A girl sat far away in ripped clothes. The first thing that popped to his mind was that she was a survivor. Slowly, he stood up, trying his best not to wake the blonde. His attempt failed, Ed sitting up right away to look at him.

"W-what's going on…?" He asked, rubbing his eyes.

"There's a girl over there. We need to go get her before those things do." Roy said, helping him up.

He nodded, picking up his gun as he stared at the thin girl.

Her hair was white, long, and shined from all the grease that housed on her head. Her hands covered her face as she cried. Blood and dirt stained her knees and feet, something Ed noticed as they made their way toward her.

"It's okay." He said, reassuringly. "We won't hurt you."

The girl did not look up but simply growled lowly, neither of the two noticing.

"What's you're name? We'll help you." Roy said, pointing his gun down as they got closer.

Edward laid his gun down, showing that there was no need to be scared of. But as he put his hand on the girl's thin shoulder, he found out that there was something to fear.

She stared at him with glowing red eyes, shrieking as high as her lungs allowed and rushed at him with her elongated fingers. Forcing him to the ground, she began ripping him apart, screaming as she did so. Ed screamed in utter horror and just stared at the woman. When his mind finally realized what was going on, he threw up his arms in defense, only to have them bitten.

"SHIT!" Roy screamed and quickly shot the girl in the head, bringing her down with a small thump.

The teen stayed screaming as he stared at his arm, the bite wound bleeding as much as the rest of him. As he silenced and slowly brought his hand to it, the realization sunk in. He had been bitten by one of those things. And soon, he would have the same fate as his brother.

Roy rushed over, kneeling by his side. It didn't seem to bad, just a bunch of long scratches. Nothing deep. But once he set his eyes on the teen's arm, his heart sank and shattered faster then a New York minute.

"Oh God…" He muttered, touching it lightly.

The blonde shivered under his touch and began to silently cry. "I'm going to die…." He whispered.

The man looked at him with wide eyes, sitting him up onto his lap. "Shhh…"

"I'm going to die…I'm going die!" He cried out, letting the tears roll down his face. "I'm going to turn into a monster!"

"No you aren't…no you won't." Roy said, petting the boy's hair, trying to comfort him as best he could. "No you won't. I promise you won't become one of those things. You'll be fine, Edward." He said, tears threatening his eyes as well.

Slowly, he leaned down and kissed the teen lightly, trying to calm him. Seeing him like this only made him mirror the action. He didn't know what was wrong with him. When he was in Iraq, he watched people die all the time. In fact, he caused many deaths. But, as he held Edward, he felt like the world they had created together, just him and Ed, was falling apart. Like he couldn't control himself. Like he was losing part of his soul. The blonde looked up at him, seemingly calm.

"Roy," He said. "you're crying."

Roy shook his head as he stared down at him, tears flowing down his face. "Shhh…it's raining outside. Rest now…"

Ed looked up at the glass ceiling, squinting his eyes as the sun ran into them. "But…Roy.." He whispered as he drifted off to sleep.

"It's not raining…"

* * *

**A/N: The zombie featured is known as a Witch. **** wiki/The_Witch**** I like to call her the bitch. And, if you have played Left 4 Dead, you would know why. Thank you for your time - ADAM**


	7. Rebirth

**A/N: Warning for crappy writing.**

* * *

Sleep never took him over.

He always sat and stayed watch, keeping an eye on his companion. Every once and a while, the teen would wake up, and the two would talk for a hour or so. But, it wasn't long before he slowly drifted off into sleep.

Roy treasured those moments.

In Iraq, when a comrade was hurt, they would beg for him to shoot them, to end their suffering. Or, they would die from the impact, right off or a few minutes after. But this was worse than helping a fellow soldier die. He watched as Edward slowly and painfully turned into one of those things. A flesh eater. A zombie. The thought of the next time he woke up almost scared Roy. Because he knew that one day, he'll wake up and not be Ed.

Day by day, his hair became whiter and paler. His nightmares woke him up more and more. It was clear that the oldest was losing his lover.

Tonight was just like any other night, clear sky, freezing cold breeze, and sweat dripping down off Edward's forehead as he shook. He silently opened his golden eyes to look up at Roy as he patted his head down with a cool cloth. The feeling of fire burned in his veins, organs twisting, and turning. His hand shook more as it traveled from his side to his companion's, squeezing it tightly.

"R-Roy..." He whispered, his mouth and throat dry.

The man looked down at him, forcing a smile. Ed was Ed today. But for how long?

"Hey...how are you feeling?" He asked.

The blonde turned his eyes away to glare at the ceiling. "Like crap." He answered, coughing afterward.

Roy sat him up and rubbed his back, handing him a bottle of water. He watched as Ed took a small sip and shook his head, pleading for him to drink more. The young teen gave in and drank almost half the bottle before he laid back down, staring at the ceiling once more. Every second or so, his sight would fade into darkness, but he shook it off, thinking that it was just part of turning. The man took the cool cloth again and placed it over his eyes, trying to relax the teen. He smiled softly and held his hand, rubbing it slightly with his thumb.

"Roy?" Ed asked, starting to fall asleep.

"I'm here. I'm right here." He muttered, looking around for any of the creatures.

The blonde turned his head slowly toward him, the sweat on his face now forcing his hair to stick to it's sides. "I'm sorry..." He whispered.

Roy looked down at him. "There's nothing to be sorry about, Ed. Nothing. It's not your fault. You'll be alright. I pro-"

"Shhh..." He said, hushing the man. "I'm sorry...if I attack you...I'm sorry...if I die...If I turn...kill me..." He muttered, his voice wavering off.

The black haired man shook his head, not wanting to accept the fact that soon, Ed might not be Ed anymore. "You won't attack me. You won't turn. You'll be alright. We'll find a cure."

The teen chuckled, turning his head away. "Finding a cure for this...it's like finding a cure...for world hunger..." He said, falling asleep.

Edward would never admit it, but he was as scared as his lover. He was scared every time he fell asleep and every time he woke up. Some days, he wasn't to scared. On those days, he just wanted all of this to end. But, today, he was. He wanted what Roy said to be true, that they would find a cure. But there was no cure for this. Ed was going to die and he was going to die soon. And he knew it. He felt it.

* * *

Crying. It was piercing into his ears and ripping out the drums.

Quickly, Roy sat up, looking around the small hunting lodge the two were staying at, looking for it's source. His heart sank deep into the pits of his stomach when he looked upon the bed and noticed that Edward was not there.

He grabbed his gun, slowly walking out of the room. "Ed?" He called out, listening for a reply.

The only thing that hit his ears was that blasted crying. It sounded more masculine then the other ones he had heard which made his heart beat even faster.

"Edward?" He called out again, turning the corner into the small kitchen.

The sight was horrible. There, the teen sat, his back to the man. His hands held his face as he sobbed, moving slightly to wipe the tears away. Slowly, he bent down, putting his hand on his thin shoulder. "Are you alright?"

The platinum blonde quickly turned his head to look at him, his eyes glowing red instead of it's normal gold. A slight growl was heard in his voice but was swallowed down as he blinked, his eyes changing back into the normal glow. His lip quivered as he stared into his lover's eyes, tears falling down from his own.

"I'm almost gone, Roy." He said, reaching up to him. "I don't want to leave."

His eyes went wide and he picked him up, holding him as tight as he could. The boy was no heavier then ninety pounds and, right now, he knew that he needed to be held. Even if he did look like a child. He sat on the couch, just rocking back and forth with him in his arms, stroking his hair.

"You won't leave, Ed." He whispered, trying to hush the weeping boy.

The teen shook his head, digging it into his companion's shoulder. "Yes...I'm slipping...Roy, I don't want to die!" He sobbed.

The man shook his head, kissing him lightly on his hairline. "You won't die."

"Yes I will..."

"You won't, Edward." Roy said. There was a silence between the two before he finally broke it. "But, if you do, I'll go with you. And I will search for you."

Ed lifted his head and looked at Roy, his face looked as innocent as a child's. "Really? You'll look for me?"

He nodded, wiping his face with a smile on his own, pushing his bangs out of the way. "Sure I will. I love you, Ed." He said.

Those seven words were the greatest words the young teen had ever heard. He smiled a true smile, his pain fading away. "I love you, too." He whispered, leaning forward toward the man's face.

The older of the two smiled, leaning up, placing his lips onto the blonde's, slipping his tongue into his mouth. The moment seemed so pure, so special, that they didn't even notice the mob of flesh eaters forming outside, banging on the door. The youngest felt no pain, letting his loose hair fall all over him. When they finally broke apart, Roy looked out the window, sighing slightly.

"This is it." He whispered, pulling out a few pipe bombs he had stashed away, enough to make sure that nobody would survive.

Edward looked at him, tears forming in his eyes. "Will it hurt?" He asked, his fear taking over.

The man shrugged, placing them as close as possible. "I don't know. I've never died before."

He nodded, looking around. His heart was pounding in his ears, his whole body shaking in fear. The teen finally calmed down as two strong arms wrapped around him, giving him the illusion that he was safe.

"See you on the other side..."

* * *

The sound of laughter was in the air, children running around, tagging each other, and swinging on the swings. The war against the undead was over for most, but for some, it stayed. And it would continue to stay with them until the day they died.

Maes Hughes sat on the bench, watching his eldest grandchild talk with a group of girls, a smile on his face. He chuckled slightly as a few of the girls walked away, his charm obviously not working on them. With his head down, the poor twelve year old made his way over to his grandfather, obviously done for the day.

"No luck?" He asked.

The child shook his head, sitting down next to him, his hands stuffed deep into his pockets. "Nope." He said.

Hughes smiled and patted the lad on the head, a sign of encouragement. "One of these days, Alphonse, a girl would be all over you." He said.

Al looked up at him and smiled. "You think so?"

He nodded. "It just takes time."

He never really liked the name Alphonse until his grandson was born. It sounded strange to his ears. When the children were young, he would ask his daughter why she named them the way she did, and the story was always the same. The names came to her. But after so many years, he finally got used to the names. Alphonse, his oldest grandchild. And Edward, the youngest. The one who was, as the two talked, sat on the far end of the playground, playing with a teddy bear.

"Why are you such a freak?" One child asked him.

The blonde didn't respond.

"What's so bad about him?" One asked the other.

The other child smirked and pointed at poor Ed. "He likes boys. He doesn't like girls."

"EWWW!"

"Gross!"

"Isn't that illegal?!"

"Who would want to be with you?!" All the children said, forcing the smallest to put his head down, holding his bear close.

"And what's so bad about it?" A mysterious voice asked.

Every child near the boy looked up to see a seven year old with short black hair glare at them. He walked over and stood in front of Ed, making sure nobody got to him. "What's so bad about liking boys?" He asked again, almost daring the kids to step forward.

But none of them did. They stared at him for a slight moment and walked away, not wanting to get in trouble today. When each child left to continue their own lives, he bent down in front of the blonde, a smile on his face.

"Ed, what are you doing over here?" He asked, holding out his hand.

The child looked up and smiled, taking it happily. "I was waiting for you, Roy." He said, standing up, his teddy in his other hand.

"Well come on, silly! There's no one at the swings now! Let's go!"

The two rushed right over, happily taking turns on one swing.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for the support! - ADAM**


End file.
